I spent some time earlier today rearranging some quilt blocks on my felt wall, hoping to rekindle my interest in that stalled project. In the four months since I last updated my quilt to do list, I’ve gotten only one thing on it done (and all I had to do on that one was the quilting and binding). The blocks on the wall have been there since October, when I still had a hope of finishing the quilt before the baby it’s meant for turned one, but I just haven’t felt like working on it. I have done some sewing since, but that was in a quilting night party where a bunch of us from work assembled a quilt for my boss’s new daughter. That was as much about eating and socializing as it was about creating. Now I’ve missed the birthdays of two other babies whose quilts aren’t even started. I mentioned my quilting slump to my mom and she thought I needed to make some things for myself for a change. Maybe she’s right.

But I do knit for myself, and I’ve hardly been churning out finished objects in that arena, either. Since mid-October, after turning in my last few items for the charity knitting challenge (which Michigan State won—go Spartans!), all I’ve been working on is a pair of socks that my Ravelry notebook tells me I started on September 1st. It has taken me that long (or longer) to make socks before, true, but that was when I was learning a lot of new things all at once. These socks aren’t a huge challenge technically, but I find some days I don’t even want to pick them up. I’m debating putting them aside and casting on something else I might be more inspired to work on, but I’m just a few inches from being done and it sure would be nice to not add to the unfinished business hanging around.

I wonder if my creative spark just decided to hibernate this winter. Or maybe it migrated to sunnier climes and is spending the season in Florida, inspiring quilters and knitters down there. Or possibly it’s lurking around here, pouting because I’ve been too tired to play as much as I used to, and I just need to pay some attention to it and it’ll come out of hiding.

One year ago, I was soaking up the sun in Florida myself.

Two years ago, I was just starting to be a foul weather runner.

Three years ago, Christmas music caught my ear. I really should put my holiday CDs in rotation now before the month gets away from me.

Four years ago, I did not write an entry.

Five years ago, I cleaned off my desk. Right now, I’ve got another pile of stuff on there I need to go through, but at least it’s (mostly) contained in a nice neat box I got at IKEA.

Six years ago, I was off skiing in Colorado. That was back before we decided that fewer but longer ski trips were the way to go.